Panthers won't play Newton or Kuechly on Thursday

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and linebacker Luke Kuechly won't play in Thursday night's preseason opener at Chicago, coach Ron Rivera said Tuesday. It is a precautionary move for both Panthers stars, with Newton coming back from offseason shoulder surgery and Kuechly having been held out of practice recently.

Second-year quarterback Kyle Allen is expected to start against the Bears, backed up by rookie Will Grier. The Panthers have been monitoring Newton's workload throughout training camp.

Newton, 30, is entering his ninth NFL season. The former MVP completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 3,395 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in 14 games last season. Kuechly was caught in a pileup last week in practice but told reporters Tuesday that he was never in the concussion protocol.

Kuechly, 28, is heading into his eighth season. The five-time All-Pro registered 130 tackles, two sacks and an interception in 16 starts in 2018.